Hello everyone,
finally I start writting in my blog. 2 weeks already passed and quite a few things happened. Lets start at the beginning. Well, first of all I had a great journey. It was pretty long but with all the movies available on the plane it wasnt too bad. Once I arrived at the Wellington airport about 30 hours after my departure in Duesseldorf, I took a transfer shuttle to the train station. There, Janine, my company supervisor, told me to catch a train to Paraparaumu. So thats what I did. The train ride was beautiful! The sun was shinning, wide green fields as far as you could see, the sea on the other side... funny how I left Germany in heavy rain and clouds and then arrived in spring sunshine! And it is still a funny feeling wearing summer cloths in November. The first couple of nights I stayed at Janines and Andrew place on the ranch. They are a couple and about three weeks ago Janine had a little baby boy called Luka. During my days there I got to know my new bosses(?) and their home on the ranch. I also met the two girls, Anna and Sophie, who also work and live on the ranch. They are both from New Zealand. Anna has already been at the ranch for over a year, Sophie started only three months ago. It is great to have their company while working!! While I was staying on the ranch, I started looking for a nice accommodation around the area as well as for a cheap car that would get me to places. On the internet I tried to bid on cars on an auction... the first one Janine and I actually wanted to go and look at. Once we got to the house, the woman tod us that her daughter is still on her way home in the car and she wouldnt be back in the next hour. A bit dissapointed we left and decided to postpone the viewing to the next day. I called them up in the morning, and guess what they said..." Sorry, but we dont want to sell the car anymore". Even more dissapointed I went back on the internet... the next car was in Wellington. To make sure it was a good car to buy, I checked it into an AA (ADAC) inspection. Well, it turned out it was a really trash car, with high risk of needing maintenance...maybe not then!!! Then, finally Janine found a really nice car, a real bargain! So, i started betting and I WON! :-) So now I am driving this really cool, automatic Toyota car, with leather seats and with 6 CD compartments... really cool cruising around with "my own" car!
The other thing I needed was a place to stay!! On the internet I found some ads for "roommates wanted" as well as in the supermarket on the notice board. So, I rang them up and luckily Andrew took me to all the viewings. Downsizing the choices, I either had the option of living with a hippi- woman, a very luxurious place with a nice room mate (but very expensive), or move into a house with a portugese woman with her two little daughters (3 and 6 years old). With her, I would only have to pay for food and babysit once in a while... doesnt sound too bad, ey? So, thats what I went for. I have been living with her now for almost two weeks and it is an adventure. Even thought I am out working all day, I do see them in the evenings. Kids are great to play with, but once they get tired, they can be hard work:-) !
Now, you are probably curious about what I do at my work and how things are going... well, at the moment I basically do groom work. I start at 7am, get horses in from the paddocks (distances are a lot bigger here than in Europe) so you actually have to walk for about 5 min. to get to some fields. Then I brush them up, feed them, take them for speed walks to the beach or through the forest, take them back out, get other ones in...etc. Its quite a bit a walking, on my feet for good 10 hours, walking around the fields up and down the hills. The first couple of days it was really hard and tiring. It still is but I have got used to the walking now. After the first two weeks I actually know how things are done and I dont have to ask what to do all the time. Which can be kinda annoying I guess. But thats how things are when you start somewhere new. Ask around for help and advice. But I am glad that I know my way around now. Everyday I learn someting more. At around lunch time, we get an hour off to have lunch and relax a bit. The two girls, anna and Sophie, just live up the road in a small bungalow. Thats where we chill a bit, chat, watch TV and rest our feet. After the hour past, we start working again. We should be finishing at 5-5.30pm, but we at the moment we still work until 6 or 7 pm. Which makes the days even longer and more tiring! After work, I then go home, have a shower, have someting to eat and basically just fall into bed at around 9-10 pm. So, as you can see I am working most of the time. This is why I havnt met a lot of people outside of work. I dont have time to join a sports club or something outside work because of the long hours. But I guess I should just try to get used to the situation and learn from it.
Monday morning, we will have a staff meeting where we will discuss the next week, whats coming up and what needs doing. Andrew said he will then introduce me to some new projects for me. I am really curious about what they are! I have also arranged another meeting with him and Janine to disscuss the regulations of my uni for the placement. Cause I cant just be doing groom work being here for my uni placement!! But I am sure we can work something out.It is really weird; on the one hand I still really have to get used to things, work and making up my mind about how things are. On the other hand it seems as if I have already been here for a long time, knowing my way around and living my day to day life! But I hope that things will turn out well and that I have made good decisions!
I am thinking about all of you at home!!!! Thank you so so much for all your "good bye-presents". They are always with me, either in my room or my car! :-)Thats all for now, still have some uni stuff to do. weekend is almost over and a next week to begin!
Sorry for not writting any private messages to you guyss, but internet is sooo slow here that it takes ages to do things! But in my mind I am with you!
finally I start writting in my blog. 2 weeks already passed and quite a few things happened. Lets start at the beginning. Well, first of all I had a great journey. It was pretty long but with all the movies available on the plane it wasnt too bad. Once I arrived at the Wellington airport about 30 hours after my departure in Duesseldorf, I took a transfer shuttle to the train station. There, Janine, my company supervisor, told me to catch a train to Paraparaumu. So thats what I did. The train ride was beautiful! The sun was shinning, wide green fields as far as you could see, the sea on the other side... funny how I left Germany in heavy rain and clouds and then arrived in spring sunshine! And it is still a funny feeling wearing summer cloths in November. The first couple of nights I stayed at Janines and Andrew place on the ranch. They are a couple and about three weeks ago Janine had a little baby boy called Luka. During my days there I got to know my new bosses(?) and their home on the ranch. I also met the two girls, Anna and Sophie, who also work and live on the ranch. They are both from New Zealand. Anna has already been at the ranch for over a year, Sophie started only three months ago. It is great to have their company while working!! While I was staying on the ranch, I started looking for a nice accommodation around the area as well as for a cheap car that would get me to places. On the internet I tried to bid on cars on an auction... the first one Janine and I actually wanted to go and look at. Once we got to the house, the woman tod us that her daughter is still on her way home in the car and she wouldnt be back in the next hour. A bit dissapointed we left and decided to postpone the viewing to the next day. I called them up in the morning, and guess what they said..." Sorry, but we dont want to sell the car anymore". Even more dissapointed I went back on the internet... the next car was in Wellington. To make sure it was a good car to buy, I checked it into an AA (ADAC) inspection. Well, it turned out it was a really trash car, with high risk of needing maintenance...maybe not then!!! Then, finally Janine found a really nice car, a real bargain! So, i started betting and I WON! :-) So now I am driving this really cool, automatic Toyota car, with leather seats and with 6 CD compartments... really cool cruising around with "my own" car!
The other thing I needed was a place to stay!! On the internet I found some ads for "roommates wanted" as well as in the supermarket on the notice board. So, I rang them up and luckily Andrew took me to all the viewings. Downsizing the choices, I either had the option of living with a hippi- woman, a very luxurious place with a nice room mate (but very expensive), or move into a house with a portugese woman with her two little daughters (3 and 6 years old). With her, I would only have to pay for food and babysit once in a while... doesnt sound too bad, ey? So, thats what I went for. I have been living with her now for almost two weeks and it is an adventure. Even thought I am out working all day, I do see them in the evenings. Kids are great to play with, but once they get tired, they can be hard work:-) !
Now, you are probably curious about what I do at my work and how things are going... well, at the moment I basically do groom work. I start at 7am, get horses in from the paddocks (distances are a lot bigger here than in Europe) so you actually have to walk for about 5 min. to get to some fields. Then I brush them up, feed them, take them for speed walks to the beach or through the forest, take them back out, get other ones in...etc. Its quite a bit a walking, on my feet for good 10 hours, walking around the fields up and down the hills. The first couple of days it was really hard and tiring. It still is but I have got used to the walking now. After the first two weeks I actually know how things are done and I dont have to ask what to do all the time. Which can be kinda annoying I guess. But thats how things are when you start somewhere new. Ask around for help and advice. But I am glad that I know my way around now. Everyday I learn someting more. At around lunch time, we get an hour off to have lunch and relax a bit. The two girls, anna and Sophie, just live up the road in a small bungalow. Thats where we chill a bit, chat, watch TV and rest our feet. After the hour past, we start working again. We should be finishing at 5-5.30pm, but we at the moment we still work until 6 or 7 pm. Which makes the days even longer and more tiring! After work, I then go home, have a shower, have someting to eat and basically just fall into bed at around 9-10 pm. So, as you can see I am working most of the time. This is why I havnt met a lot of people outside of work. I dont have time to join a sports club or something outside work because of the long hours. But I guess I should just try to get used to the situation and learn from it.
Monday morning, we will have a staff meeting where we will discuss the next week, whats coming up and what needs doing. Andrew said he will then introduce me to some new projects for me. I am really curious about what they are! I have also arranged another meeting with him and Janine to disscuss the regulations of my uni for the placement. Cause I cant just be doing groom work being here for my uni placement!! But I am sure we can work something out.It is really weird; on the one hand I still really have to get used to things, work and making up my mind about how things are. On the other hand it seems as if I have already been here for a long time, knowing my way around and living my day to day life! But I hope that things will turn out well and that I have made good decisions!
I am thinking about all of you at home!!!! Thank you so so much for all your "good bye-presents". They are always with me, either in my room or my car! :-)Thats all for now, still have some uni stuff to do. weekend is almost over and a next week to begin!
Sorry for not writting any private messages to you guyss, but internet is sooo slow here that it takes ages to do things! But in my mind I am with you!
As usual, con una sonrisa feliz,
Lisa
Here are just a few pics... I promise more will follow!
The front of my car with my lucky charms- on the right my gardian horse angel from my parents :-)
The fields of the ranch "Sudbury fields"
Me on the beach enjoying the sun-yes, I already have a bit of a tan and my hair is getting blonder everyday, I love it!!
This is the kind of stuff you buy around here :-)
The beach which is just a 20 minute walk from the ranch!
Like a white unic horn :-)
